Srinagar airport reopens for Hajj 2025 pilgrims after India-Pakistan ceasefire
Three flights scheduled for 14-15 May
DUBAI: Flights carrying pilgrims for Hajj 2025 are set to resume from Srinagar International Airport tomorrow (Wednesday, 14th May), after a six-day suspension triggered by tensions between India and Pakistan.
This development follows a ceasefire and confirmation from Indian defence authorities that there is no longer active movement near the border.
The airport was closed on 7 May following armed conflict between the two South Asian neighbours. As a result, all commercial and Hajj-related flights were halted.
Flight operations at Srinagar
The first flight is expected to land in Srinagar on Tuesday afternoon. Outbound Hajj flights will resume the following day, Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, Executive Officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Haj Committee told local media. “There will be three flights on 14 and 15 May as per the original schedule. A new schedule will be announced soon for the seven cancelled flights,” he said.
The cancelled flights had been due on 7 and 12 May, leaving over 1,000 pilgrims in limbo. The first batch of 178 pilgrims departed for Saudi Arabia on 4 May before the suspension was enforced.
This year, 3,622 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir and 242 from Ladakh are scheduled to perform Hajj. A total of 11 flights were originally planned between 4 and 15 May from Srinagar.
The annual pilgrimage is expected to take place from 4 to 9 June 2025, based on the sighting of the moon.
Meanwhile, some airlines, including Air India and Indigo, remained cautious and cancelled flights on 13 May despite the airspace reopening.